Nine State Road Trip

From April 29 through May 7, we were on the road again, this time visiting nine states:

The catalyst for our journey was an invitation to attend the wedding of my husband Eric's first cousin once removed, whom he had never met.  They connected through Ancestry.com. We were delighted to attend a real Tennessee wedding .. Fun!  The bride and groom were married in the shade of a huge old tree and we enjoyed BBQ and Jack Daniels at the reception.  Perfect!

We spent much of our Tennessee time in Franklin, learning about the Battle of Franklin which was fiercely fought there in November of 1865.  The tour guides were especially informative as we made our way through the Lotz House, The Carter House and the Carnton Plantation, site of the wedding.

 We enjoyed people watching at the indoor flea market in Bowling Green, KY.

 My husband gets to meet the most fascinating people through his job!

 We're not really Corvette people, but we couldn't pass up the Museum.  Some beauties here, as well as the poorly damaged cars as a result of the sinkhole.

 Abraham Lincoln's replica cabin where he was born is housed in the majestic building on the middle left. 

 We hit some weather in Indiana ..

 We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with my stepson Brian and his lovely fiance, Emi.  We'll see them again for the Florida wedding in October.  Looking forward to it!

 A farm in PA, on the road home.

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Trip to Idaho and Oregon

From April 9 through 14, my husband Eric and I took a trip out West to visit his Mom and to meet up with both his sisters for the first time in many years.  It was wonderful catching up with family, and taking time to tour some of the area.  Here are a few photos from the 800+ that I took during the trip.

The hills above Baker City, OR ..

 The quaint town of Joseph, OR.  Many of the shops hadn't yet opened for the season.

 The Elkhorn Mountains, as seen from Pilcher Lake, OR

 A bucket list visit to see the Oregon Trail.  The Interpretive Center was wonderful. 

 The landscape in Enterprise, OR

 Roadside farm with a dramatic sky and young crops.

 Coming back to Baker City in the late afternoon rain.

 Small towns like this one can look spooky or they can look comforting. It depends on your viewpoint.

 A vague map of our route.  We flew into Boise and made the three hour drive up to Baker City, OR.  Joseph is another hour and a half north of Baker City. Beautiful country out there.

To view my photography website, click here .. and to become a fan of my FaceBook photography page, please visit here.  Thank you!

2015 Teatown's Hudson River Eagle Fest

We spent this frigid Winter day, Saturday February 7th, in the company of good friends, admiring the many owls, eagles and other raptors being shown at the EagleFest.  It is a celebration of the Bald Eagle's winter return to the Hudson Valley.  Teatown's EagleFest is a broad collaboration of organizations united in their goal to promote appreciation of an environmentally healthy and vibrant Lower Hudson Valley. For more info:  Please click here.  Here are some of the images from the day, captured with my Nikon D7000 with Nikkor 70-200mm VRII 2.8 lens.

Master Falconer Brian Bradley with a Gyrfalcon in the snow.

Spectacled Owl

 Little "Mortimer", a tiny Saw-whet Owl who was found injured on the side of the road 15 years ago. He is blind in one eye. He is a great owl ambassador, having been seen by thousands of people. His handler, Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, expressed such gratitude to that man who took the time to stop and rescue him.

Brian Bradley with a gorgeous hawk.

Master Falconer Bill Streeter of the Delaware Raptor Center with a Golden Eagle.

A trio of Bald Eagles about a mile away.  Photo shot with my iPhone6 through the lens of a powerful Swarovski scope.

"Oona" the Snowy Owl

 

Barn Owl.

Screech Owl with lunch.

Red Shouldered Hawk

Brian Bradley's Gryfalcon caught the bait.

Master Falconer Brian Bradley with a hooded raptor.

Birders on the shore of the Hudson, viewing Bald Eagles far in the distance.

Beautiful cold winter landscape at George's Island, NY

To view my photography website, click here .. and to become a fan of my FaceBook photography page, please visit here.  Thank you!

Sunset at the George Washington Bridge

This was a simple iPhone shot on our way across the George Washington Bridge, from New York City to northern New Jersey, where we live.  Then I ran it through HDR software and it really popped.  September 13, 2014.

To view my photography website, click here .. and to become a fan of my FaceBook photography page, please visit here.  Thank you!

Home Renovation photos - Interior and Exterior

Back in April, I completed four stained glass windows for a beautiful home in NJ which had been ravaged by a fire.  The windows were installed in the kitchen.  Here's my Boehm Stained Glass Studio blog link to the windows.  The contractor hired me again, this time to photograph the exterior and interior of this green-built home, his latest pride and joy.  These photos serve as a record of his work, but may also be used on his website or for advertising purposes. Take a look .. Click on any photo to enlarge.

I created a panorama for this photo, then ran it through HDR software.  I especially like the brightness and color saturation combined with the strong contrasty shadows.

 With every photo shoot, I offer every client multiple styles.  My goal is to provide a wide variety of angles and photographic techniques.  In addition to the standard color photos, I add in some black and whites.  Below, the architectural details of this magnificent home are shown to full advantage.

For one of the photos of the back of the home, I merged two photos and added HDR effects.

Sunny back patio.

 Another angle on the front, in black and white which shows the two-car garage and some of the sweeping landscaping.

Looking from the back of the living room toward the front door.

The adjoining porch next to the living room.

As with every other facet of this home, even the wiring was painstakingly done.  Beautiful job!

One of the beautiful bedrooms.

Photo taken upstairs, looking through the kids' room onto the roof patio.

The kitchen, looking into the living room.  Note two of my stained glass windows to the right, behind the hanging lamp.

Panoramic shot of the porch, featuring the family cat (lower right) and the potbelly stove.(Click on any photo to enlarge).

The living room, photographed in natural light.

Two more of my stained glass windows are on either side of the range hood.

One of several baths.

If you are considering a green addition or renovation project, please contact GroundSwell Contracting, based in northern NJ.  Call Quentin Unsworth, (below) 201-855-6676. Please click here for their FaceBook page .. Or click here for their website.

To view my photography website, click here .. and to become a fan of my FaceBook photography page, please visit here.  Thank you!